PressClub Global · Article.
After success at Long Beach: BMW Team RLL ready for the next ALMS round at Laguna Seca.
Wed May 08 16:06:32 CEST 2013 Press Release
The 2013 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) is back on track this Saturday at Laguna Seca Raceway, in Monterey, California (US), with the four-hour American Le Mans Monterey.
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BMW Group
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Author.
Ingo Lehbrink
BMW Group
Munich (DE), 8th May 2013. The 2013 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) is back on track this Saturday at Laguna Seca Raceway, in Monterey, California (US), with the four-hour American Le Mans Monterey.
The first two races of the debut season of the BMW Z4 GTE have been strong ones for BMW Team RLL, with fourth and seventh place finishes at the 12 Hours of Sebring (US) and, thanks to excellent strategy, an outstanding one-two finish at Long Beach (US). BMW stands second in GT class manufacturer points. With the win at Long Beach in the No. 55 BMW Z4 GTE, Bill Auberlen (US) and Maxime Martin (BE) stand in a tie at the top of the driver points.
John Edwards (US) will co-drive with Dirk Müller (DE) in the No. 56 machine this weekend as Joey Hand (US) takes a weekend off following a very successful opening round of the DTM series on 5th May. Hand, the only full-time US driver ever in DTM, scored a career-best seventh place finish at Hockenheim (DE). Edwards rejoins BMW Team RLL after co-driving with Hand and Müller at Sebring.
Bobby Rahal (Team Principal of BMW Team RLL):
“For sure, there is nothing like winning. Any time you come off a win, let alone a one-two finish, you feel pretty good about things. I felt we could be competitive in the first couple of races, and at times we have been. The Long Beach finish was a case of having a really great pit strategy. We can’t just show up at Laguna Seca and think it’s going to be given to us; we have to go win it. I think the BMW Z4 GTE is going to be suited more to the circuit than the BMW M3 GT was. Clearly it seems to be a better handling car. While we are still suffering with a lack of straight line speed versus our competitors, Laguna Seca is definitely a handling circuit. I believe the Michelin tyres will continue to be an asset.”
Bill Auberlen (BMW Z4 GTE – car number 55):
“What a great start to the 2013 season. We knew we had the team, we knew we had the tyre, and, best of all, now we know we have the car. The Long Beach win shows BMW has built another winner and as a driver what more could you ask for?”
Maxime Martin (BMW Z4 GTE – car number 55):
“I'm really looking forward to racing at Laguna Seca. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the track and I'm really excited. It looks more like a European track without the terrible bumps of Sebring and the walls of Long Beach so it will be easier for me to learn.”
Dirk Müller (BMW Z4 GTE – car number 56):
“Laguna Seca is one of my favourite tracks in the world and I am really looking forward to driving the BMW Z4 GTE through the ‘Corkscrew’. We’ll try to keep our momentum from Long Beach and I welcome John back.”
John Edwards (BMW Z4 GTE – car number 56):
“I'm very excited to come back for my second race with BMW Team RLL. It has been nearly two months since I've driven the BMW Z4 GTE and I'm getting antsy to drive it again.”